What To Expect On The SAT: Preparation Is The Key

What To Expect On The SAT: Preparation Is The Key

I’m not going to beat around the bush here. Test taking is a battle, it is a war waged between the mind, and the test before you. You need to know what to expect on the SAT before you enter this eternally fought battle. In Sun Tzu’s The Art of War there is a short passage that defines how you should approach the SAT:

“It is said that if you know your enemies and know yourself, you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles; if you do not know your enemies but do know yourself, you will win one and lose one; if you do not know your enemies nor yourself, you will be imperiled in every single battle.”

Couldn’t have said it better myself. I know some of you may be chuckling or shaking your head, but this test is huge. The SAT will define your college and scholarship options going forward in your education. This isn’t something to treat like a pop quiz in your history class. This is the real deal, and I don’t say that to scare you. On the contrary, I say that to inspire you, because with the right preparation you will enter into this battle equipped to leave as the last one standing.

What to Expect on the SAT

Let’s assume you haven’t taken the test before. You are new to this, maybe a little nervous, and that’s fine. By the time you’re done reading this, you will have all the confidence of an immortal army, I assure you. We’ll begin by analyzing what kinds of questions you will face on the SAT. Then we will go over how to properly prepare for the test day.

You will know what to expect when taking the SAT, and how to maximize your time between now and then. Before we finish up, you will also be given a resource more powerful than any weapon. Stay tuned for that, because that’s going to be your secret weapon.

Types of Questions on the SAT

The types of questions on the SAT are divided between math, reading, and writing. There is also a writing prompt you will be given on the test. We’ll begin with an examination of the writing portion. The writing portion of the exam consists of twenty five minutes where you must write a response to the prompt given to you. Below is what you can expect on the SAT essay, and the skills it is looking to test:

The ability to develop a stance or point of view on the subject of the prompt

Support of said stance through analysis and reasoning

Following proper conventions, punctuation grammar and spelling.

The next portion of the exam will have you answering three types of reading questions. These will test specific aspects of your comprehension and critical thinking skills. They are as follows:

Analogies (19 questions) – These will test your ability to understand the meaning of words and see the relationship between a pair of words.

Sentence Completion (19 questions) – These will test your ability to choose words with the proper meaning and place them correctly into sentences.

Critical Reading (40 questions) – This portion will measure your ability to read passages and answer questions about specific aspects from the reading.

Finally, there is a math portion of the SAT where you will an additional three types of questions:

How Long Is the Test and What Does It Cost?

The SAT test time is three hours in length which is a time length decided after studies had been conducted. Tests have shown that the average student will finish seventy five percent of the questions in each section and eighty percent will reach the final question. Because of these results, three hours was decided. A good tip if you’re nervous about the length: questions left blank don’t count for or against you. If you really don’t know it’s better to skip it than guess.
The cost for the SAT is $23.50 which includes a $13 fee that covers sending your scores to as many as four colleges and scholarship programs that you specify. There are additional fees to sending the results to extra colleges or rushing the score reports. You’re probably asking when do scores come out now. Without any additional rushing, the scores will get to you within three weeks of taking the test. Colleges should receive your scores within a month after the exam.

How to Prepare for the SAT

The SAT start time varies, but it typically begins between 8:30 and 9:00 AM. That means you should get there a little early. Let’s say 7:45, which means you have from now until that exact time on your test day to prepare. The clock is ticking and you are surrounded with tons of programs and expensive books trying to tell you that they’re the best way to prepare for this battle.
Wrong, all of them. They will try to cram information into you without considering who you are, where you’ve come from, or where you’re going. Worst of all, they’ll leave out vital tips that will help you keep focused and sharp throughout the exam. For this, your greatest battle yet, your preparation must be all inclusive. It must be personalized to you, and it must be thorough. You may be wondering if such a place exists, or if I’ve just been yanking your chain this entire article. Fear not, for there is such a place. Welcome, to the SAT Preparation Group.

A Trusted Service That Gets Results

The SAT Preparation Group offers free in-home or online consultations to show you just how much they can truly offer for your future. With elite coaches and personalized training, you will find yourself with a massively larger selection of colleges and scholarships than you ever thought possible. The training courses come in a variety of options and the course can be done online or in-home.
With an average increase in test scores of 341.9 points, the training here is top of the line and worth every cent. This test is your future, and you want your future to be as bright as possible. Their holistic approach to training encompasses more than the simple curriculum of the test. A quick glance at the services they offer will show you how vastly different, and improved this program is when compared to any other option.
This test is huge, but you don’t have to be nervous. With the SAT Preparation group, you can enter that hallowed hall with confidence and a bounce in your step. Take hold of your future and start preparing for the SAT today!